NFL Player News

Dalton completed 20 of 35 passes for 224 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in Thursday's 13-9 loss to the Texans. He also gained five yards on two rushes.

While he didn't look anywhere near as ineffective as in the opener, Dalton and the entire offense came up small for the second consecutive week at home. The veteran signal caller managed just 6.4 yards per attempt, a modest improvement over the 5.5 figure he generated in the Week 1 shutout loss to the Ravens. The 29-year-old did encouragingly spread the ball around to the likes of Tyler Eifert and Alex Erickson, and also connected on a team-high five occasions with top target A.J. Green. Dalton was also able to stay away from turnovers altogether after uncharacteristically throwing four interceptions against Baltimore, but he and the Bengals will enter the Week 3 road tilt versus the Packers still seeking their first touchdown of the season.

Watson completed 15 of 24 passes for 125 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions and added 67 yards and a touchdown on five rushes in Thursday's 13-9 win over the Bengals.

The rookie signal caller flashed the same electric play-making ability with his legs that was a hallmark of his three-year career at Clemson, rattling off a 49-yard rushing score -- the longest by a quarterback in franchise history -- with a minute remaining in the first half to give the Texans a 10-3 lead at the time. Head coach Bill O'Brien clearly had a conservative game plan in place for Watson, who averaged just 5.2 yards per attempt and was playing without his top three tight ends, starting right guard Jeff Allen and receiver Bruce Ellington. Watson also led a 13-play, 66-yard drive late in the fourth quarter, one in which he connected with DeAndre Hopkins on three occasions for 29 yards and also notched a pivotal 11-yard scramble on third down. The possession culminated in a 42-yard field goal by Ka'imi Fairbairn that gave Houston the 13-9 lead that would serve as the final margin of victory. Despite the modest passing line, Watson's performance offered a glimpse of the fantasy upside he's capable of offering, particularly as he acclimates further to the pro game. He'll face a formidable challenge in Week 3, however, as the Texans hit the road to tangle with the Patriots.

Bradford (knee) was listed as a limited participant in Thursday's practice.

Though Bradford has been limited by the knee injury for both of the Vikings' practices this week, there's been no reports suggesting the quarterback is at any serious risk of sitting out Sunday's tilt with the Steelers. Instead, it appears the Vikings' brass is just building in some extra rest for the signal caller due to the quick turnaround between games after the team defeated the Saints on Monday. Bradford was one of the top-performing quarterbacks during the first week of games, completing 27 of 32 passes for 346 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.

Bradford was a limited participant at Wednesday's practice due to a knee injury.

Bradford didn't seem to have any issues in Monday's win over the Saints, completing 27 of 32 passes for 346 yards and three touchdowns in the 29-19 victory. He may miss some practice reps during the week, but there's no reason to believe he's in danger of missing the Week 2 game in Pittsburgh.

The Colts will divide first-team practice reps between Brissett and Scott Tolzien this week, Zak Keefer of The Indianapolis Star reports.

Tolzien had a disastrous outing Sunday against the Rams, tossing a pair of pick-sixes before eventually giving way to Brissett, who threw a 50-yard pass to Donte Moncrief to set up the Colts' only touchdown of the game. Brissett is still learning the offense after coming over from New England in a trade less than two weeks ago, but it won't be surprising if the Colts decide he's already a better option than Tolzien. A decision on the Week 2 starter may not come until later in the week or even this weekend. Early reports suggest the team is leaning toward going with Brissett.

Although coach Bill O'Brien will not officially name a starter for the Texans' Week 2 tilt against the Bengals, the team has reportedly decided to go with Watson (ankle), Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Watson's ankle reportedly held up fine during Tuesday's practice, which was enough to get him the starting nod over fellow quarterback Tom Savage. The rookie replaced Savage at halftime during the Texans' season-opening loss to the Jaguars and subsequently threw a touchdown pass on his first NFL drive. However, the rest of his performance was uneven, as he completed just 12 of 23 passes for 102 yards, added 16 yards on the ground and committed two turnovers. Regardless, the offense showed much more life with the Clemson product under center. His mobility and elusiveness make him an intriguing fantasy option when facing advantageous matchups, but he figures to see his share of highs and lows early on. Savage remains an option to return should Watson struggle with his new role.

Watson (ankle) was a full participant in the Texans' practice Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.

According to Wilson, Watson took all of the snaps during the portion of the practice made available to the media, suggesting the ankle issue he sustained in his NFL debut Sunday isn't a concern heading into the Thursday night matchup with the Bengals. Though coach Bill O'Brien demurred when asked Tuesday whether Watson would receive the start over Tom Savage in Week 2, Wilson indicated his sources have reiterated that the rookie will be under center Thursday so long as he avoids any unexpected setbacks with the ankle. Don't be surprised if O'Brien waits until the hours leading up to game time before making Watson's starting assignment official, however.

Texans coach Bill O'Brien said Tuesday that he hasn't decided if Watson (ankle) or Tom Savage will start at quarterback Thursday against the Bengals, and the choice could be a game-time call, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Despite O'Brien's comments, it's expected that Watson, who relieved Savage in the season-opening loss to the Jaguars on Sunday, will garner the start in Week 2, but the coach may not be willing to commit to Watson until he has a chance to see how the rookie is able to manage a minor ankle injury during practice this week. If Watson's mobility isn't compromised too much, the Texans should lean in his direction after he provided an upgrade over Savage in the second half of Sunday's contest, completing 12 of his 23 passes for 102 yards, one touchdown and an interception while adding 16 yards on the ground.

Savage will serve as the Texans' No. 2 quarterback in their Week 2 matchup with the Bengals on Thursday if Deshaun Watson (ankle) is able to practice Tuesday without incident, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports.

Savage was never expected to have a long leash on the starting job after the Texans selected Watson with the 12th overall pick of the draft in April, but it appears the former's reign atop the depth chart lasted all of two quarters, shorter than most pessimists might have even predicted. The 27-year-old was pulled in favor of Watson at halftime of the Texans' 29-7 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday after he completed just seven of 13 passes for 62 yards and showed little ability to evade the Jacksonville pass rush, taking six sacks and losing two fumbles, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Watson committed two turnovers of his own in the second half, but at least gave the Texans a more mobile presence in the pocket and generated the team's only score of the afternoon, connecting with DeAndre Hopkins on a red-zone touchdown. The rookie sustained a minor ankle injury in the contest, but so long as it doesn't provide any complications for him during the Texans' lone practice of the week, it looks like he'll be the team's starter in Week 2 and quite likely, the rest of the season. That would relegate Savage to a permanent backup gig, just about eliminating any fantasy appeal he might have offered in 2017.

The Texans plan to have Watson start their Week 2 matchup Thursday against the Bengals if his injured ankle doesn't present any issues for him during Tuesday's practice, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports.

After the Texans failed to put up any points behind Tom Savage in the first half of their blowout loss to the Jaguars in Week 1, coach Bill O'Brien turned to the team's first-round pick at quarterback to begin the second half. The decision paid immediate dividends with Watson tossing a touchdown pass on his first NFL drive, but the rookie's performance was otherwise uneven, as he finished with 102 yards through the air while completing 12 of 23 passes and 16 yards on the ground while committing two turnovers. Even so, Watson provided enough of a spark to convince O'Brien that he was worthy of a starting assignment, though the quick turnaround won't afford the signal caller much time to prepare for the nod. The exact nature of the ankle injury that Watson suffered in the opener isn't known, but it's viewed as only a minor concern, so it would be surprising if it ended up preventing him from dressing Thursday.